Groundbreaking
by firstfaranyafolly
Summary: Four years after the end of the Hundred Year War, Sokka is hard at work helping Aang build his vision: Republic City. While the going is hard, Sokka is up to the challenge, alongside his old friend Toph. Together, they must uncover a criminal conspiracy that threatens to undermine the very foundations of Aang's vision. Updates every Sunday, barring unforeseen delays.
1. Foundations

It had been a long, boring day. Aang had roused him before sunrise, and begrudgingly climbed aboard Appa for their morning inspection.

Every morning was the same. The framework for Republic City stretched out in every direction from the harbour at its core. The salt spray from the ocean would chase away the sleepiness as Appa swept low, and Sokka would prepare himself for the long day at hand.

There was an endless stream of work to do. Buildings were taking shape, and there were any number of minor details to finalize for them all. When Aang had asked Sokka to help him build his city nearly a year ago, Sokka had expected...well, he didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't this. Something more exciting, not mediating disputes between workers and settlers, each trying to carve out a piece of the work or of the land.

This day was longer than most, and had called Sokka to the distant edges of the city to investigate a series of complaints. A narrow river snaked its way down to the ocean, and it was the source of the dispute. Three different men had laid claim to a narrow stretch, each with plans to build a bridge. Sokka had spoken with them for hours before convincing them to cooperate in the construction, and split the profits of the toll they intended to charge.

Now, the sun was little more than a dull red glow in the west, casting skeletal shadows on streets littered with lumber and tools. Most of the workers had retired to their temporary housing for the night, but Sokka could still hear the sounds of a few workers finishing their work for the night. Other than those distant echoes, all he could hear were his footsteps in the quiet of the night.

"Well, Aang better still be at the council building by the time I get there. I'm not swimming back to that island," Sokka muttered to himself, casually running his fingers through his hair while shaking his head. Why Aang had insisted on building his new airbender temple on an island was a mystery to him. As he skirted a pile of bricks which had been left in the middle of the road, he heard a soft gurgling sound from the alley to his right.

A narrow surge of water rushed out of the shadows, snaking towards his face. With a shout of surprise, Sokka sprang o the side, landing hard on the bricks beside him. Rubbing his hip, he watched the water speed back into the alley. Having spent so much time with Katara, he knew that whoever was bending that water was only bringing it around to strike again. His hand snatched for the grip of his sword, and the blade sprang from his back just as the water whip snapped out at him once more.

Slashing with the flat of his blade, Sokka splashed the water away from himself while rolling off the bricks and to his feet.

"Who's there?" Sokka said to the darkness, but before he was given an answer, a heavy weight slammed into him from behind, throwing him against the wall. The man who had tackled him was slightly shorter than Sokka, and quickly rolled away as soon as Sokka turned his attention on him.

Sword raised, Sokka sprang at the man, but his sword jerked him awkwardly to one side. Glancing over his shoulder, Sokka saw a large chuck of ice frozen to his blade, the extra weight pulling it to the ground. The smaller man came to his feet, a palm-sized knife in hand, while from behind Sokka, the waterbender stepped into the twilight.

He was, of course, dressed in the style of the Northern Water Tribe, if not a little rough around the edges. Grime streaked his clothes, and they frayed at the hem. His fur collar was patchy, as though it had somehow caught mange. Long hair tied in knotted braids framed his dark face, handsome but for the oddly angled nose. He wore four water skins lashed across his chest, hanging under his arms. The two on his left hung limp and empty, and he drew the water free from a third, hanging on his right. The water swirled in a figure eight in front of him, as he threw Sokka a cruel smile. Sokka could have sworn that one of the man's teeth was made of ivory.

"Give us whatever coin you've got on you," the man with the knife said, menacingly stabbing it at Sokka, even though it was obviously a knife meant for cutting, with a wide curve and no sharp point. He dressed as an Earth Kingdom commoner, his drab green and brown clothes hanging loose on his wiry frame. A moustache that hung past his chin wavered slightly as he spoke.

"Best listen to him, he's pretty quick with that thing," the waterbender said, still sweeping his stream of water around in front of him, "And your sword is no good frozen in ice. Nobody has to get hurt here."

"Oh sure, since I didn't get knocked out right away, now you want to negotiate!" Sokka said, glancing uneasily between the two. His sword was useless now, but he still had his trusty boomerang. His hand started for the sheath that held it, before he paused, uncertain which of the two he should strike first.

"Look, we're not negotiating. You are going to give us what we want, or we are going to take it," the man with the knife growled, taking another step closer. With a flurry of motion, Sokka drew his boomerang and let it fly, his mind made up for him. The curved blade whistled through the air, striking the smaller man's hand and sending his knife skittering over the stone street bricks.

"Yeah, boomerang!" Sokka shouted, readying himself to catch it when it came back. The boomerang arced through the air, before burying itself into the fresh timber of a building hemming in the narrow street. "Aw, boomerang..."

Hearing the growl from behind him, Sokka danced to the side, avoiding the crack of the water as it whipped past him. Grabbing one of the bricks, Sokka reared back, and let it fly at the Northern Tribe outlaw. With a whistling slice, the waterbender cut the brick in two with his water whip, while drawing yet another stream from his last skin. Intertwining the two streams, he unleashed a deluge at Sokka.

Shouting in panic, Sokka dropped down to his hands and knees, and heard a loud "Oof" from behind him, as the deluge washed the smaller non-bender away. Seizing his opportunity, Sokka rushed the older man, fists flying.

His skins depleted, the older waterbender was reduced to a fist fight, but his waterbending skills had readily prepared him for that. Catching Sokka's arm, he twisted and threw the younger man to the ground. On hand and knee, Sokka scrambled away before the waterbender's kick landed. Sokka saw a loose plank on the ground nearby, and reached out for it. Wrapping his fingers around it, he flung it behind him. While the waterbender was dodging it, Sokka managed to get to his feet. He didn't have any more weapons, so when he saw both of his attackers on their feet, his stomach dropped. Maybe if he ran, they'd settle for his sword and boomerang.

"Now you're going to pay for this," the waterbender said, drawing some of his spilled water up off the road, "I'm going to make sure of it. Maybe if you'd run right away, but now I'm mad."

With that, the waterbender thrust his hand out before him, opening them wide, and sent the water splashing over Sokka's feet. Seconds later, the water froze solid, freezing him in place. Tugging at his feet, Sokka started panting nervously, while the non-bender closed at a run with a wooden plank raised over one shoulder. Sokka winced and closed his eyes, waiting for the blow. The air whistled as the plank tore towards him, but the blow never landed. After a few seconds, Sokka opened one eye to see what was going on.

The non-bender stood, the board extended out towards Sokka, but was no longer able to move. Heavy wire cable, meant to hoist building supplies, wrapped around his arms, holding fast. Suddenly, it snapped taut, and flung the man off-balance, sending him careening against a nearby wall. The waterbender wheeled around, looking for the source of the cable, when several bricks came sailing out of the dusk darkness. He managed to knock the first two away, but the third struck him in the shoulder, and the fourth in the stomach. Falling to his knees, his water spread out across the street once more. When he looked up to find his attacker, one last brick sailed lazily into his forehead. Dizzy and confused, he scrambled into the alley and ran off, followed shortly by his non-bending companion once he had extricated himself from the wire cables.

Sokka finally managed to break through the ice holding his feet, and although he couldn't feel his toes anymore, he sighed in relief.

"Thanks, whoever you are, for helping me out there," Sokka said, walking over to grab his boomerang, "And nice work using the wire as a lasso. I'm impressed, it must have been hard to throw it that far." Sokka grunted as he pulled his boomerang out of the wood. It had buried itself really deep.

"Twinkle-toes told me I would find you out here," she said, stepping out into what was left of the red sunlight, "I guess you never did learn to stay out of trouble."

"Toph!" Sokka said, tossing boomerang back in its sheath. He ran up to the blind earthbender, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. They were quite a bit higher off the ground than they used to be. "What's it been, like two years since we saw each other last?"

"I've never seen you, Sokka," Toph said smiling, "But you certainly don't sound the same. Your voice finally stopped squeaking then?"

"Of course!" Sokka tried to say, but it inexplicably came out in a high squeak, something that almost never happened anymore. Toph laughed at that, and Sokka had no choice but to chuckle along with her. The two old friends parted as Sokka stepped back, to take a better look at her. She had gotten tall. Taller than Katara. That was the most glaring difference, but she was still the same as he remembered her otherwise.

"Just like always," she said, patting his cheek playfully. All of a sudden, Toph froze, as if she had turned to stone, hand still resting on his face.

"Umm...Toph?"

"Beard!" Toph shouted, her other hand springing to his face. She began roughly rubbing his face with both hands, fingers tracing from ears to nose, and down over his chin, "Sokka, you have a _beard_! When did you get a beard? It doesn't _feel_ glued on..."

"Of course it isn't glued on! I grew it, isn't it great?"

"Well, it's kind of thin and patchy here," Toph said, point to his left cheek, "here," pointing to his right jaw line, "and here," she concluded, pointing to his upper lip.

"Oh yeah, I'd like to see you grow a better beard!" Sokka said, flustered at the blind girl's callous, if completely accurate and honest, criticism, "That's right, you can't!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Patches. Now, grab your sword, and let's get going. Aang told me he was going to leave without you after sunset."

"He what! Some friend, I come all this way out here to help him keep order in _his_ city, get attacked by some crazy waterbending bandit and his knife-waving buddy, and he won't even wait to give me a lift home at the end of the day? Some friend he turned out to be!" Sokka raved, furiously working to pry his sword out of the ice. When it finally gave way, he nearly lost his balance and fell backward, but managed to catch himself in time. "Oh well, let's get moving. We might be able to catch him before he leaves us behind."

Together they set off towards the bay, back along the same route Sokka had been walking when he'd been jumped. Even with all the noise he was sure the scuffle had made, Toph was the only person he had seen any sign of. If any of the workers in the area heard him, they'd made off before trouble found them as well.

Right now, it was just the two of them, walking in the dusk twilight.

"So Toph, what have you been up to since the gang split up?" Sokka asked, absent-mindedly rubbing his hip once more. It was still sore from his landing on the pile of bricks.

"Well, you remember my metalbending academy? That really caught on. So many students I can't keep track of them all, let alone teach them all. And half of them don't have any idea what they are supposed to be learning. Some rich merchant enrolled his son, and I don't even think the kid is an earthbender," Toph said, flicking her hair dismissively.

Sokka hadn't noticed before, but Toph had changed her hair. The tight bun Sokka had always known was now loose, her dark hair cascading down just past her shoulders.

"So I had to put some of my best students in charge of teaching the others. That's who I have covering for me while I'm out visiting you guys. I just couldn't say no to an invitation from Avatar Twinkle-toes," Toph continued, oblivious to Sokka's assessment of her hair, "This is a nice city you two have here, Sokka."

"Oh yeah, we have lots left to do, but it's really coming along. People seem to really want to get in on the ground floor here. Almost every day I have to settle arguments about who gets what piece of land. Just this afternoon, there were three earthbenders who each wanted to build a bridge in the same spot over the river. It took all day to settle that argument, and it was one of the good ones."

"Well, I hope you are ready to take some time off, because I'm not going to sit around alone in a strange city. And I'm definitely not going to sit around and listen to the happy couple all day," Toph said, sticking out her tongue and punctuating her point with some theatrical gagging noises.

"They aren't so bad anymore. It took them long enough to stop being so sickly sweet, but they eventually stopped. Well, most of the time," Sokka said, shrugging. Katara and Aang had driven him half mad in the earlier days of their relationship, not least because he didn't really approve of it. But now, he had grown used to them, and more importantly the idea of them. Katara had fought alongside him in the war, and had captured Azula. As hard as it was to admit, she didn't need her big brother to protect her anymore.

"If you say so, although I don't believe you," Toph said.

"You'll see when we get back to the island. Katara will be happy to see you too, she's been complaining about there not being any other girls around since Suki left."

"Oh yeah, where is Suki? Aang didn't say anything about her."

Sokka felt like she had just dumped a bucket of cold water over his head, dampening his cheer at seeing her. His mouth twisted into a sad frown, and he stared as his feet as they walked. After a long moment, he realized he needed to give Toph an answer.

"She...she went back to Kyoshi Island a couple of months ago," Sokka finally said. Another long moment of silence followed as Toph tried to work through the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"That's...kind of a long trip," Toph said, trailing off. More awkward silence.

"It was hard at first, when she left, but I'm dealing with it. All the work to do has helped keep my mind off of it, but honestly, Aang and Katara have been the worst," Sokka said sadly. Realizing what he had just said, he started backpedaling, "I don't mean that they haven't been really supportive and tried to help me, because they have, they've been great like that, telling me that things will get better and all that, it's just...it's just that being around two people who are so happy with each other all the time makes it that much harder to accept that she is really gone."

"I'm sorry Sokka," Toph said, her voice genuine in its sympathy, "I didn't mean to bring it up. I didn't know."

"It's not your fault Toph, don't worry about it. Besides, everything will work out. Especially now that you're here to keep my mind off it."

Unnoticed by Sokka, a faint blush crept across Toph's cheeks, pooling in her ears.

They were nearly back to the council building when they heard the groaning roar from above. Sokka looked up to see Appa swoop low overhead. The great bison banked and came down hard on the stones. A thin puff of dust rose up from around his many feet, and his rider sprang lightly to ground.

"Sokka! There you are. You didn't have any trouble finding him, did you Toph?" Aang said cheerfully, brightening Sokka's mood once more merely by his presence.

"Not a moment too soon," Toph said, with a mischievous smirk.

"Huh?" Aang said. He looked to Sokka, expecting an explanation.

"I'll tell you on the way back. Let's just go, I'm starving!" Sokka said, hauling himself up into Appa's saddle. He reached down to offer Toph a hand, but the earthbender thrust herself up onto the bison with a narrow column of earth.

"Let's go!" she said, settling herself into the saddle and pulling Sokka down beside her. She held his arm in an almost painfully tight grip.

"Uh, Toph," Aang said as he carefully bent the earth pillar back into place in the flat street. After taking a moment to straighten the paving stones, he went on, "You should be more careful with your earthbending here. We need these streets to get around, and so we need to keep them clear."

"Yeah, yeah, duly noted Grandpa, let's just get this over with. I've gotta say I didn't miss flying."

"Let's go Aang, Katara will be waiting for us. I'll tell you what happened with the river on the way back."

"Ok, Appa; yip yip!"

With a groan, the sky bison slapped the earth with its great tail and the group rose into the sky, striking out westward into the setting sun.

* * *

"You tried to rob the Avatar's man?" Master Fu growled.

"Uhh...well we thought he was just some other rich developer. Bao tailed him from a meeting with Liang Xin, the bridge developer."

"That's right boss," Bao said, "If we'd known it was the Avatar's guy, we'd have left him alone."

"But anyway, we didn't take any of his stuff, on account of that earthbender who helped him."

"Very well. I'll look the other way this once. But you two idiots need to lie low for now. I've got a number of key investments relying on the Avatar's good graces in the coming days, and I don't need his little militia sniffing you out in my kitchens," Master Fu said, leaning back in his seat. With one hand, he stroked his long, pointed beard, "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Tonrar and Bao said in unison.

"Good. Now get to the docks. Fang's got a shipment going out tonight, and he's asked me to provide some extra security to make sure it gets where it's going."

"You can count on us boss," Bao said. With that, the two toughs bowed, and backed out of the study, leaving the older man to his many letters and ledgers.


	2. Reunion

The instant the sky bison touched down on Air Temple Island, Toph flung herself to the ground, reaching out as though to embrace the dirt.

"Ah...I can't say I missed flying," Toph said dreamily, her fingers brushing the earth lovingly. Appa let out a dissatisfied grunt as Sokka was climbing down, "Oh, I missed you though Appa," Toph said, getting back on her feet.

"I think he missed you too," Aang said, when the bison started nuzzling the young earthbender.

"Hey, Appa never greets me like that!" Sokka said, dramatically crossing his arms. Groaning merrily, the bison's tongue reached out and ran sopping and sticky up Sokka's chest to his forehead. The warm stickiness sent uncomfortable shudders down Sokka's spine, "Etgh, Appa!"

"Yep, just like always," Toph said, "I never realized just how little fun my students really were."

"Well, I'm glad my suffering is entertaining for you," Sokka said, putting as much sarcasm into his voice as he could, which was incidentally a lot. However, it started him to thinking. He hadn't had much fun in months. Ever since Suki left, he'd thrown himself into his work, to keep from despairing. But even before that, it had been months since he Suki had been happy enough to have fun. But the flight back to the island had been filled with verbal barbs and sarcastic quips. Just like old times.

"Come on, Katara is probably waiting to eat until we get there," Aang said once Appa settled in with a nice pile of hay, "She'll be so surprised to see you Toph."

"You didn't tell her I was coming?"

"No, we were both busy all day. She was working at the hospital today, and I was way on the other side of the city."

"She's a full-time healer now?" Toph said, confused, "I thought you told me she went crazy and attacked that Pakku guy because he told her she should be a healer?"

"Well, she's not always at the hospital," Sokka said, "A lot of the time she works with the militia, but they got a new crew of waterbenders from the North Pole and they needed the extra hands getting them settled. And if I were you, I wouldn't mention that to her."

"Why? It's true, isn't it?"

"Yeah...but have you learned to swim yet?"

"No..."

"Then I wouldn't suggest making her mad while you're on an island in the middle of a huge bay."

"Good point, Sokka. I'll try to remember that."

Together the three of them passed through the rough wooden doors that served as a place holder while the artisans prepared the more ornate doors that would eventually be installed. The temple itself was only little more than half complete. Several walls were still makeshift earthbending construction, waiting for replacement by the sturdier masonry walls.

Sokka hadn't really understood it at first, but the masons had finally convinced him. Earth that they placed by earthbending was often soft and would not stand the test of time. Some of the older walls were only eight months old, but the wind and rain had already eaten deep grooves into them.

"An earthbender can carve the bricks out of the stone. And earthbender can shape the bricks. An earthbender can place the bricks. But if you skip any of these steps, you'll have a weak wall," the chief mason had told Sokka when he'd asked, "Moving these walls into place will make the earth soft, like cork. It'll crumble on you. But proper made bricks, those will last a thousand years."

He'd certainly charged them enough for a thousand years on this project. The architect and chief builders had all demanded that Aang and the United Republic finance a voyage to all four Air Temples for 'research', and that was before they had even moved any ground for the project.

"This building feels weird," Toph said as they made their way through the halls to the dining chamber, "Some of these walls are just hacked together with earthbending."

"The temple isn't finished yet," Sokka explained, "They're just there so the builders know what it should look like, and so that we can live here while they build it. Aang wanted to keep an eye on things so they built it just like one of the old temples."

"Well, I guess I should count myself lucky I can't see it. If it feels this ugly, I can only imagine how it looks," Toph said, scratching at her ear.

"Well," Sokka said, lowering his voice to a whisper, "you kind of get used to it after a while."

"I heard that Sokka. You know that it's just temporary while the builders do their work," Aang said, frowning at the other two behind him.

"I know, I know, that doesn't mean it looks like the Fire Lord's Palace," Sokka responded, before turning back to Toph, "The dining chamber has already been built, so it looks really good. For the most part, we stick to the north wing, it's mostly finished."

Together they walked along, chatting idly about Aang's new home. They met fewer and fewer temporary walls the further they walked, eventually crossing a small courtyard and leaving them behind altogether. These halls were dark, and the dark forced Aang to firebend the group a torch to see by. Of course, Toph didn't need the torch, but Sokka appreciated it. At least until they turned a corner and saw the candle lit doorway of the dining chamber.

"Here we are," Sokka said, stepping into the doorway.

"I can see that, Sokka" Katara said, scowling at both him and Aang as they walked into the candlelight. She was seated on one of the cushioned wooden chairs that surrounded the admittedly shoddy table. "I've been waiting for nearly two hours for you two to get back. What took you so long?"

"We found an old friend along the way," Sokka said, stepping to one side with a dramatic flourish, "Introducing Toph Beifong!"

"Toph!" Katara said, springing to her feet, the scowl turning into a broad smile.

"Hey Katara, I found this dunderhead out walking, and he decided to invite me home for dinner," Toph said, playfully punching Sokka in the arm.

"What are you doing here?" Katara said, wrapping the other girl into a hug. Sokka noticed that his first assessment wasn't quite correct. The two girls were about the same height now. If only they'd wear their hair the same way, he'd be able to tell which of them was actually taller. The heap of hair on top of Toph's head made it difficult to be sure.

"Your lover boy there sent me a message asking for some help, so I decided a vacation would be fun. So here I am."

"Help, with what?" Katara said, turning to Aang with a puzzled look on her face.

"I'll tell you all while we eat, I bet we're all pretty hungry," Aang said, taking his place at the table. Once everyone else had joined him and had taken a few bites, he started to explain.

"Well, the city is getting a lot bigger, and the council is worried about crime. We have our militia, but they are mostly former soldiers and volunteers. They've been trained to fight a war, not to keep the peace. We've had a few violent confrontations, usually starting out with one new settler fighting with another. But more often than not, when the militia shows up, they cause more damage than they prevent. It is even worse when they try to arrest benders. A lot of people have been seriously hurt already."

"What do you think I can do to help?" Toph said, between bites of the mild curry Katara had prepared for them.

"Well, when I was talking with the council, we realized that we needed to specially train people to police the city. So I figured, if we were going to start specially training a police force, maybe we could specially train them in metalbending."

"So, you want me to move my school to the city?" Toph said.

"Actually, I want you to join our police force, Toph." Aang said, setting his food aside and staring anxiously across the table at Toph, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know Aang, I already have students and they need me..."

"Didn't you tell me that you left some of your best students in charge of running your school while you came here?" Sokka asked. He hadn't known of Aang's plan before now, but all of a sudden he was very excited about it. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it himself. Metalbending was a new art, something most people had never even seen before. Metalbenders would have an advantage over even criminal benders. "You could just leave them in charge and come live here."

"I don't know Sokka, I've already..." Toph trailed off before shaking her head as though she was waking from a brief dream, "Well, how soon would you want me to start?"

"As soon as possible. It is getting really hard to keep order on the edges of the city, and it is still expanding." Aang said solemnly, "Please, Toph."

"Well...since you asked so nice, I guess I'll help you out," Toph said. She smiled at the airbender, but her smile was weak.

"Thank you, Toph." Aang said, picking up his food once more. The group ate in silence for another minute, before the gears in Sokka's head finally clicked in place.

"Oh! Toph! You can show them the thing you did with the wire cable!" he said, nearly choking on the water he'd been drinking in the process.

"No Sokka, that's alright, it wasn't anything special," Toph said nervously, a slight flush reaching her face.

"What thing with the cable?" Katara asked.

"Oh, on my way home, these two guys attacked me, and one of them was a waterbender. The other one was about to hit me with a big piece of wood while my feet were frozen to the ground, but Toph metalbent a cable around his arms and threw him against a wall! That kind of thing would be perfect for our crazy elite metalbending police force!"

"No, really Sokka, I don't think so," Toph said, the false cheeriness masking an anger that Sokka was too engrossed in his idea to notice.

"Yeah, it would be great, you could use it to catch criminals and – ow!" Sokka exclaimed when Toph's heel slammed down on his toes under the table.

"Sokka?" Aang asked, but Toph interrupted him.

"It was nothing Sokka, okay? I barely did any metalbending, all I did was throw the damn thing! There was already a loop on the end from whatever it was for, and all I did was hold it open until it landed on him, and then pull it. I didn't 'throw' anyone into anything, I just pulled on it and he tripped over his own stupid feet and fell into the wall."

"What? But...why didn't you metalbend it?"

"Because I couldn't, that's why, you...ergh!" With that, Toph stood up, knocking over her chair, and stormed out of the room. Katara gave Sokka a nervous glance, and hurried out of the room after her.

"What was that all about?" Aang asked, but all Sokka could do was shrug his shoulders.

"Do you think we should go after them?" he asked, and it was Aang's turn to shrug. After a moment of silence, Sokka got to his feet too.

"I think I should go apologize...for whatever it was I did." he said, and Aang nodded in agreement.

When Sokka walked out into the corridor, he realized he didn't know which way the two girls had gone. Deciding that he wasn't going to find them by standing around, he turned left and made his way back to the courtyard they had passed on their way in. As he got closer, he heard voices coming from up ahead. Just outside the door, he could barely make out Katara as she spoke.

"...didn't mean to upset you."

"Yeah, I know," came Toph's reply, "It's just...just that he kept going. I guess I was overreacting. It's just been too long away from you guys. I'm not used to it anymore."

Taking a deep breath, Sokka pushed through the door, into the courtyard.

"Toph..." he began.

"What do you want, Sokka?" Toph's angry voice echoed off the walls of the little courtyard. She stood facing him, hands on her hips. Her blind eyes stared at...well it looked to Sokka like they were staring off just above his left shoulder, but he assumed she meant to look right at him.

"I just wanted to apologize. I should have dropped it when you first said that you didn't want to talk about it. I just got a little excited, and carried away. I'm sorry."

The anger faded quickly from Toph's face, and she turned on her heel to face away from him before she said anything.

"That's okay Sokka. I wasn't really mad at you, I was just mad because...because I _couldn't_ bend that cable."

"What?" Sokka said, confused, "But...you're a metalbender. You're _the_ metalbender!"

"Sokka," Toph's voice was full of anger once again, "I told you that I can't. I tried, and it just kept folding and buckling when I tried to make it move. I can throw it, but I can't just make it whip around like you want. The metal is just too soft."

"I guess I don't really know what its like to metalbend something. I just figured if you could bend some metal, you could bend all metal."

"Well, its not just that – although there are some metals that don't bend – its that trying to make a wire do what I want won't work. If I push on one part of the metal, the other parts bend, and the wire folds."

"Like waterbending!" Katara suddenly shouted, surprising both Sokka and Toph. Sokka had forgotten she was even there.

"What are you talking about Katara?" he asked her.

"It sounds just like waterbending. If you focus all your energy on one place, the water won't flow, it will just splash. But if you let your energy flow along the length of the water, you can stream and control it."

"Well, that's just great! I need to be a waterbender to whip wires around!" Toph said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"No, you don't need to be a waterbender," Sokka said, an idea taking root in his mind, "You just need to think like a waterbender! Katara, you can teach her how to focus so that she can move cables like a whip!"

"What makes you think I even want to learn?" Toph said, wheeling around to glare at Sokka again, "What makes you think that this would even work?"

"Remember when Zuko taught Aang how to redirect lightning? He said his uncle learned how to do it by studying waterbenders, and that gave him a serious edge against Azula and his father. If you could do the same thing, your metalbending would be even stronger!"

"He's right Toph. Iroh did tell us that learning from the other styles of bending could help make us stronger."

"Oh sure, you waterbenders just have all the answers now, don't you?" Toph said, "But alright. Fine. I'll try it."

"It'll be fun Toph, we can start tomorrow afternoon," Katara said, sounding almost as excited as Sokka.

"Ok, fine. But you're taking me to see the city tomorrow morning to make up for this Sokka."

"Sure thing," Sokka said, smiling from ear to ear, "Isn't this great? The old gang, back together, just like the old days. I mean, without the threat of a fiery doom around every corner."

"Yeah, yeah, just like old times," Toph said sarcastically, "I'm going to bed."

She walked through one of the doorways. A moment later, she popped her head back through.

"Uh...Katara? Where are the bedrooms?"


	3. Good Morning

Sokka was dressed in his Fire Nation disguise, his beard long and pointed, no longer short and scraggly. He stood at the helm of a Fire Nation airship, piloting it through a violent thunderstorm. Thunder made the ship shake, and lightning flashed on all sides. When he looked around, he saw that he was alone. He didn't know what he was flying towards, but he knew he had to get there. It was important.

A new flash of lightning sent his ship reeling. He rose into the air as though floating when the ship banked sharply towards the earth. Fighting desperately with the controls, Sokka tried to pull up. Gritting his teeth, and pulling for all he was worth, the ship plummeted out of the sky.

"Sokka, this way!" Suki called to him, climbing the steel ladder towards an open hatch on top of the aircraft. Sokka hurried after her without a work. Suki was dressed in her full Kyoshi warrior armour and makeup. When he found her on top of the ship, her fans were shining in her hands.

"Sokka," she said, her voice cold and distant, "I'm going home."

"Suki, what are you talking about, we're going to crash!" he called out to her, but her stoic face stared off at a point a thousand yards away.

"I'm going home, Sokka, this isn't working."

"Of course it isn't working, Suki, we're falling out of the sky!"

"Goodbye Sokka, it was fun while it lasted," the familiar words rang out, clear and strong despite the raging winds. Suki lifted her fans above her head, holding them out to the side like the tip of two great wings, and when they caught the air, the young warrior took flight. Gliding on the fans, Suki sped off into the southern sky.

"Wait, Suki, no! Take me with you!" Sokka called out, desperate for her even as she landed aboard one of two other airships that were both steadily flying past each other; one heading south, the other north. Sokka's failing ship went careening between them.

"Suki, no!" Sokka yelled, even as the ocean beneath him opened wide to swallow the flaming wreckage. Looking up, Sokka saw the two ships drifting past beneath the full moon, and then the crash of black water swept over him.

"Sokka, wake up!" Katara yelled in his ear. His sister was standing over bed, her mouth no more than a foot from his ear.

"What, what, huh?" Sokka said, blearily sitting upright, his fists raised as though to fight off a foe, "What is it, is it the Fire Lord?"

"No, Sokka, Zuko isn't here to fight you."

"Zuko's here?" Sokka said, confused, lowering his hands to the bed to support himself.

"No, Zuko _isn't_ here. There's no Fire Lord here," Katara said with an exasperated sigh, "It's past time for breakfast. Now get up and help Aang get it ready while I try to wake up Toph. She's worse than you!"

"Huh, breakfast? Oh right, breakfast," Sokka yawned, climbing out of bed. Stretching his tired muscles, the slight chill of the spring air told him that winter was not yet ready to give up the fight. Of course, this close to the middle of the world, the winters were mild, nothing like the icy storms of a South Pole winter, but it sure did rain a lot, and that kept the air cold and damp. The last week had been filled with sun and beautiful weather, but Sokka could just tell that today was different.

A quick check out the small shuttered window of his room confirmed it; there was a steady flow of rain falling from the sky.

"I guess there won't be any more construction work today," Sokka moaned. The masons did good work, but they never worked in the rain. Sokka wasn't sure if there was a real reason why they couldn't work in the rain, or if it was just a convenient excuse, but it struck him as less than diplomatic to mention it.

"No," Katara said from the doorway, "But that doesn't mean the rest of us don't have work to do."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going to wash up in the bath chamber, then I'll meet up with you guys in the kitchen."

"Alright, just don't take too long. The water Aang heated won't be hot for too much longer," his sister said, before disappearing down the corridor. Sokka snatched up a clean set of his blue and grey Water Tribe, and wandered out the door, still clad in only his loin cloth.

The wash chamber was a short walk away on the other side of the hall. Like all the other rooms, it had only a roughly made temporary door, which hung on squeaky hinges. As Sokka pushed it open, the now familiar creak whispered out into the room. The inside of the wash chamber was as unimpressive as its door; the large washtub looked as though it would be more appropriate for a launderer's shop, made of thick, coarse plants and heavy iron bands. But, it held warm water, and that was all that mattered to Sokka. Tossing yesterday's loin cloth into a large wicker basket that collected the group's laundry, Sokka stepped into the tub, and sank into the warm, relaxing water.

It would have been better earlier, but even if it had cooled off slightly before he'd arrived, it was still warm. Grabbing the bristly wash cloth, Sokka began scrubbing himself down. The scratchiness of the wash cloth was never something Sokka enjoyed, but he couldn't deny that it did a good job of cleaning out the sweat, salt, and dirt from the day before.

He had just finished washing, and was gently floating in the water, to the extent that the size of the tub would allow. The wash chamber had been designed for a tub three times larger, and Sokka couldn't wait until it was finished. For now, he had to settle for a tub that bumped his knees. Nevertheless, it was relaxing. Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice the creaking of the hinges as someone else stepped into the room.

Splashing indignantly, Sokka sank down to his shoulders in the water, surprised by the sudden intrusion. Toph seemed to take no notice of his, stretching into a long yawn while scratching an itch in the wild tangle that was her hair. It flared out like a moose-lion's mane around the earthbender's head, and her pale blind eyes blinked wearily in an attempt to wake up.

"Toph!" Sokka shouted, his eyes widening at the sight of her. She was wearing a baggy, well-worn green shirt, and as far as Sokka could tell, that was all. The shirt didn't even come halfway down the girl's thighs, and looked to have had its sleeves torn off, leaving rather large gaps around and under her arms.

"Sokka!" Toph said, startled into taking a step back, "What are you doing hiding in the bathroom!"

"I'm not hiding, I'm taking a bath," Sokka said, "What are you doing just barging in without knocking!"

"I didn't feel anyone in the room, so I thought it was empty," Toph said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently, "Well, are you finished? Katara said that all the hot water was almost gone."

"Yeah, I'm done," Sokka said, realizing that of course Toph hadn't seen him. He'd been floating on the water in a large wooden tub, there was no way she'd have felt him with her earthbending. "Just wait outside while I get dressed, and then it's all yours."

"Wait outside? What, afraid I'll see something?" Toph said, taunting him. Sokka suddenly felt very silly, especially that he was hiding underwater. How could he keep forgetting Toph was blind? Was he just that dense?

_'Nah, it's just early, that's all,' _he told himself as he climbed out of the tub and snatched one of the soft towels from the cabinet on his left. As he was drying off, Toph walked over to the tub and tested the water with her hand.

"Well, I guess this counts as warm," she muttered, flicking the water off her fingers, "Where is everything in here, Sokka?"

"Oh, there are towels on the cabinet over here, and the little table on the other side of the tub has soap and the wash cloth. You can just throw the towel in that basket by the door when you're done." he said distracted, as he finished drying off. This whole situation struck his as odd. Back at the South Pole, there was little choice but to undress and wash in close quarters with the other members of the tribe, but it had been four years since he had lived there for longer than a short visit. After the war, he had gone back to visit a handful of times, but Aang had always needed his help dealing with the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. And in those places, he'd only been undressed around Suki, and only then in a certain set of circumstances.

"Anything else you need?" he said, turning to face Toph. The earthbender was staring wide-eyed at the area just below his waist, which caught him off guard. Instinctively, he brought his hands around and crouched slightly, shielding himself from view. This brought on a fit of laughs from the earthbender, before she started to wave a hand in front of her face.

"Blind, remember? We just talked about this, Snoozles. Wake up." Toph said, her unseeing eyes now looking somewhere around the middle of his chest. Sokka felt the blood rush to his face in embarrassment.

"Well, it's still rude to stare, even if you can't see anything!" Sokka said, sounding scandalized, as he pulled on his fresh set of clothes.

"Whatever, just go to breakfast. I may not be able to see you, but you can see me and I'm not giving a show this morning." Toph said, her foot still tapping impatiently.

"Oh, right, sorry," Sokka said, taking his eyes off the bottom hem of her shirt and hurrying out the door, "I'll save you a plate when you're ready."

As the door creaked and thumped softly behind him, Sokka could just make out the sound of splashing and a contented sigh as Toph sank into the water. He hesitated for only a second before making his way to the kitchens. It was nice having Toph around again, but it would take some getting used to.

_'Especially this new Toph,' _he thought making his way through the dimly lit corridor. Toph was no longer the goofy little girl he remembered. Well, she was still as goofy and stubborn as ever, but she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was taller, and her body boasted curves that hadn't been there before. Not as much as Suki, he didn't think, but they were there.

Giving his head a shake, Sokka pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He was too busy to think about the shape of Toph's body. No doubt there was a list the length of his arm of things to do today. He planned on taking the day off to show Toph the city, but that just meant even more work getting other people to cover for him. Fortunately, more and more bureaucrats from Ba Sing Se were deciding to move to the new city, so there were more people help carry the load.

Bursting into the kitchen, he found Aang brewing a large pot of tea while Katara ladled out four bowls of warm porridge.

"Hey Sokka," Aang said, "Did you see Toph?"

"She's getting cleaned up, she'll be here soon," he replied, pulling a long thin knife out of a wooden block and fetching a chunk of meat from the ice box. The heavy doors and insulated wooden panels kept the inside cold, and kept the meat from spoiling. Sokka and Katara had come up with it together one day while Sokka had been lamenting the rapid spoilage of fresh meat on the island.

"Nice to see she grew out of that 'healthy layer of earth' phase" Katara said, doing her best impression of the younger earthbender, which was actually not very good at all in Sokka's opinion, "She looks so much prettier now that she actually spends some time to clean up."

"She always looked pretty enough," Sokka mused, slicing thin strips off of the piece of meat and setting them on one of their pewter plates.

"All I'm saying is that I like her new look, don't you Aang?" Katara said, balancing the four bowls awkwardly on a larger serving platter.

"I agree with both of you," Aang said, in his typical evasive tone, "She looks good now, but she looked good then too." He usually used this method when the two siblings brought him into their arguments, no matter how petty, and as usual it elicited a small scoff from the waterbender, but ended the conversation there.

Snatching up a large iron pan, Sokka placed it on the grate over the wood fired stove that was burning merrily, chasing the cold and the damp of spring away. After a moment, he slid the meat into the pan, and his stomach rumbled at the delicious scent of the now sizzling meaty treats.

"Sure you don't want to try some today Aang?" Sokka asked of his young friend, "It smells _so good_..." Sokka drug out the last two words, seductively gesturing towards the pan with a tilt of his head and a waggle of his eyebrows. Aang just looked a little queasy and said "No thanks."

"Suit yourself," Sokka said with a shrug, "At least there's someone here now who will join me in enjoying the luscious, meaty goodness." He had asked Aang dozens of times in the past, and even Katara only rarely joined him in eating any meat anymore. She had really tried to embrace the young monk's lifestyle.

After frying the meat to suit his taste, Sokka piled it atop a clean plate, and made his way to the dining chamber. He was surprised to see that Toph wasn't there yet. He'd expected the girl would have rushed straight to breakfast. He started to wonder what was taking her so long, but his thoughts cut off when Toph walked in.

She was wearing her signature baggy clothes with a supple studded belt cinched around her midsection. Sokka didn't really know what he had expected, but he suddenly realized that the formless attire was disappointing.

"Morning Toph," Aang said, pouring her a cup of tea, "We just got breakfast ready. Katara made porridge."

"Well, that's adventurous and exciting," Toph said, a sarcastic smirk on her face.

"Excuse me?" Katara said, narrowing her eyes at the younger woman across from her, "I didn't see you offering to make breakfast."

"No, but if you hadn't gotten me up so crazy early, I'd be offering to make lunch." Toph said, picking up her small bone spoon after some small difficulty finding it, "I've gotta say though, I appreciate that you guys have metal bowls."

"Yeah, I guess that would make it easier for you, wouldn't it?" Aang said, both genuinely curious and happy to divert the conversation.

"Yep, but this little wooden spoon is a little less convenient."

"It's actually bone," Sokka said, "They look a lot nicer than the wooden ones did."

"Why aren't they metal too?"

"Well...Suki was looking after buying the stuff for the kitchen, and she said something about the cutlery not matching the dinnerware or something. I don't know." Sokka responded, a little annoyed at being reminded of Suki so early in the morning.

"Oh," was all that Toph said in response, before burying her face in the porridge. Sokka gestured to the strips of fried meat, and Toph eagerly shovelled two strips into her mouth. After a moment, she spoke up again. "So, what are we doing today?"

"Well," Sokka said, perking up, "I'm going to show you the sights...uh, feel you the feels?"

"Nice save, Patches," Toph said, smiling.

"Sokka, what about the meeting with the carpenters at the Council building?" Aang asked.

"Oh, get someone else to do it," Sokka said, setting his empty porridge bowl on the table, "Toph and I are hitting the town. I haven't had a day off in months."

"Alright, sure, I'll find someone else to do it, you guys have fun," Aang said with a sigh.

"Thanks buddy. Alright, well I'm going to go get ready. If it is going to be raining like this I'll need something heavier than this shirt," Sokka said, getting to his feet. With a nod to his friends, Sokka made his way back to his room. When he got back, Sokka started digging around in his wardrobe, finding a thick blue cloak that would keep the rain off. Once he had that, he found his money pouch and fastened it to his belt, and strapped his sword and boomerang over either shoulder. Especially after the day before, Sokka had no interest in walking around the city without them, even if he was with Toph.

When he was ready, Sokka made his way to the small inner courtyard through which the others would have to walk. Not seeing them anywhere, he unsheathed his sword and started running through some simple practice forms. He hadn't had much time for training these last few months.

_'That's why those guys got the better of me, I've gotten sloppy and wasn't ready for them.' _he thought to himself, as he made several two-handed cuts as he advanced across the courtyard.

"That's some fancy footwork there, Patches." Toph said, stepping through the door with Katara and Aang in tow.

"Oh, uh, thanks. I was just waiting for you guys," Sokka said, staring at his feet while he returned the sword to its sheath. He didn't think it was terribly fancy himself. She must be mocking him.

Together the four of them made their way to the barn that housed Appa. Once the bison was saddled and ready, they climbed aboard. This time, Toph took Sokka's hand and let him haul her up onto Appa's back. With Toph clinging to both the saddle and the Water Tribe warrior beside her, Appa rose into the air, heading east into the heart of the city.

"Hey, Toph," Sokka said quietly while the young woman's fingers dug into his arm, "When did you decide to start wearing your hair down?"

Her hair fluttering in the wind, Toph shifted nervously in place. "Well, someone told me it looks better this way, and I can't argue with them about that."

Sokka smiled at the joke, and tried not to stare as the bison flew on.


	4. The Amphitheatre

After saying goodbyes to Aang and Katara, and sneaking past the crowd of petitioners looking for him, Sokka led Toph down the street under the iron-grey sky. The rain had let up once they had reached the city proper, and now their travel cloaks served only to keep out the unpleasant damp. Despite the weather, the street was as busy as always. Workers milled about, and carts filled with people or supplies rattled by, pulled along by ostrich-horses. One such cart rushed past too close, sending a spray of muddy water over Sokka's legs.

"Ergh, watch where you're going!" he shouted, ineffectually shaking his fist at cart even as it turned a sharp corner and disappeared.

"So, where are we going?" Toph asked innocently, holding back her laugh.

"Well, first we'll swing by the amphitheatre. It's been finished for a while. It looks fantastic," he said, and quickly followed it up with , "And it is done all in stone, so you should be able to see it too."

"Alright, let's go," Toph said, and Sokka thought he heard some genuine eagerness in her voice.

"Great. Well, we can walk there in about an hour, or we could get a ride in one of the ostrich-horse carts and be there in no time. You just won't be able to see for a while, since they're all made of wood."

"Eh, let's walk. I want to take in the 'feels' of the city," Toph said, elbowing her companion in the side.

Sokka smiled, and conceded to the walk. It wasn't a bad idea, the area around the downtown core was already well-developed, so there was more to it than construction materials everywhere. Most of the shops were already open and doing a brisk business from their brick and mortar fronts, while many people were still selling goods off of carts and covered wagons. As they passed by, an old woman tried to catch Toph's attention.

"Young lady, would you care to sample some of my unique treasures? Surely you can see that my jewelry is of the highest quality, deserving of a woman of fine tastes such as your own," the hawker crooned, her voice sweeter than honey while she held up a silver necklace with a polished opal pendant. Sokka did think it looked very nice, but the opalescent colours were lost on his friend.

"Sorry, looks the same as any other fancy rock," Toph said dismissively, gazing someone far off in the sky.

"What?" the older woman screeched, "Oh, well you simply need to look closer. The play of colours on this pendant is really quite exquisite!" The sweetness quickly returned to her voice.

"I don't think looking closer is going to change anything," Toph said, turning her clouded, pale eyes on the woman. Sokka watched as her counterfeit smile turned to confusion, and slowly melted into horror when she realized what she had asked of the young blind woman.

"I...oh! Oh, I'm terribly sorry my dear, I didn't realize you were...well, what I was saying," she said, holding her hands up as though she expected Toph to strike her, "I am really, truly sorry."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Toph said, with a smirk.

"No, no, you must allow me to make it up to you," the hawker persisted, "What do you say? I'll give you half price on the piece."

Sokka couldn't help but laugh at the older woman's resolve, and her commitment to her craft. Toph laughed as well, and together the pair walked on. The woman with the opal necklace did not laugh, but instead began propositioning another young woman to buy.

Sokka was always amazed with how casual the young earthbender was about her blindness, even with her earthbending senses. Even his own shortcomings worried him, insignificant as they were in the face of blindness. Whenever he got flustered and made a fool out of himself, he'd play it over and over in his mind for days, trying to think about how he could have done better. The reception at the North Pole when he had first tried to talk with Yue was bad enough on its own, let alone with Katara's snide comments. Not to mention the failure that came during the siege.

But anytime her blindness came up, Toph was always the first to latch on to it and make a joke. It was something he'd always admired about her.

They walked on for the rest of the hour, with Sokka describing the region of the city as they walked. The stretch between the council building and the amphitheatre was full of ambitious building projects from wealthy merchants and minor nobles from the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom.

"That mansion there was a property I got called over to," Sokka explained, walking past a building whose architecture seemed inspired by the Fire Nation, but yet was done in green and beige stone in the style of the Earth Kingdom, "The man who lives there insisted that the house beside his was building on the land that he had laid claim to, and it took three days of negotiating and measuring to convince him that there wasn't a problem."

"Wow, that sounds boring and frustrating," Toph said, scrunching up her nose like she had smelled something foul.

"Well, it was at the time, but when we actually had everything settled and the problem solved, I felt really...I don't know, proud of myself."

"Typical Sokka," Toph said in a long sarcastic drawl, that hit Sokka harder than her jokes normally did. It really did make him feel good to settle these disputes, but now he was racking his mind trying to figure out what was wrong with that. Shaking his head, he tried to just ignore it and plunge ahead with his tour.

"The amphitheatre is just around the corner, by the water."

Even before they rounded the corner to the street leading to the amphitheatre, Toph let out an impressed whistle. Once the building came into view, it reminded Sokka of how impressive it really was.

It had taken a dozen earthbender artists over two months to carve the façade of the building while the construction finished inside. Sculpted stone pictures covered it, depicting various myths and stories of all four nations.

The eastern side of the building was covered in swirling dragons, a golden sun, and scenes from many classic Fire Nation dramas. The only one Sokka recognized was _Love Amongst the Dragons, _and that was only because Zuko and Mai had taken him and Suki to see it during the early days of the amphitheatre. The western side had a silver moon looking down on the great heroes and heroines from the Water Tribes. These were all familiar characters to Sokka, characters who had filled his dreams as a child.

Along the top of the façade, sky bison flew, with scenes depicting tales that few left living had ever heard. Aang had spent days with the artists, telling them the tales of his people and watching carefully as they crafted them into the stone. Finally, the pillars supporting the weight of the artwork above were covered in the stories of the Earth Kingdom, each pillar footed by the likeness of a badger-mole. The two prominent middle pillars were Oma and Shu, joining hands in a loving gesture.

"What are all these carvings?" Toph asked, eager to run up and touch them.

"The stories of all the nations," Sokka said, as eager to take in the stories as she was.

"I think I know some of these," Toph said, pointing to the pillars that told of the Earth Kingdom, "I heard them before bed when I was a kid."

"Yeah, my father used to tell me all about Tulugaak, who was the man who first rose the southern fleet and went to war with the Fire Nation," Sokka said, getting whimsical remembering the nights where he sat wrapped in furs, snuggling up to his father's lap with his sister while Hakoda spoke of the great hero. The story always ended the same way, with Tulugaak abandoning his war, and bringing his fleet home to the South Pole.

Young Sokka had always thought it was a good story, except the ending.

"He should have won the war, not run home like a coward!" he had declared to his father one night, adamant as only a child could be.

"Sometimes a wise man knows when it is time to fight, and when it is time to go home," Hakoda had said, his sadness unknown to his son. Sokka knew better now.

"This is amazing, Sokka," Toph said, breathless.

"I thought you'd like it," he said, patting his friend on the shoulder, "Want to go inside?"

"Definitely!"

Together, they walked between Oma and Shu, towards the relatively simple wooden doors that bore only the symbol of the United Republic. Before they could go through it, an usher quickly cut in front of them.

"Sorry folks, the show is tonight, no guests until then," he said, holding his arms wide to block their way.

"Oh, we're just going to take a look around," Sokka said, discretely placing his thumb across his money pouch, worrying the drawstring open.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," the usher said, laying two fingers along his jaw while he nodded.

Sokka slid two silver coins into his palm, and held out his hand to shake the usher's hand. The usher gladly accepted, and when they parted, the coins went with him. Sokka gestured to Toph with his eyebrows, and the usher nodded once more.

"But for such a pretty lady, I think I can make an exception. Enjoy the amphitheatre folks," The usher said, stepping aside. Toph shuffled uncomfortably on her feet before following Sokka.

"What was that about?" she asked, sounding embarrassed.

"I guess he likes your hair too," Sokka said, elbowing his friend in the arm. That only seemed to make her even more embarrassed, as she turned her face away from him so quickly he almost hadn't seen the blush.

The lobby of the amphitheatre was a cavernous room with a sheet of marble as the floor. The heels of Sokka's boots clicked as they walked, while Toph's bare feet shuffled along beside him. Where the outside of the building was cluttered with heroes and epics, the inside was of stark, simple design. The gentle waves in the marble gave it the appearance of milky water, and the few pillars that held up the roof above were of smooth polished stone.

Along the walls to either side of the door sat several stalls all behind long low counters. When the guests would begin arriving for the shows, these stalls would be full of workers selling light refreshments, and the wide open avenue filled with a crowd eager to see that night's fare. The amphitheatre put on six shows a week, and kept up a brisk business for all of them.

Now, the lobby was empty but for the young woman washing the steps on one of the twin grand staircases leading to the upper levels of seating.

"Let's go up the stairs, you have a good view of the stage from up there," Sokka said, pointing to the nearest staircase.

"_You_ have a good view from up there. _I_ have a better view up close," Toph said, lighting kicking him in the calf.

"Oh, right, sorry," Sokka said, furious at himself for having forgotten yet again about his friend's blindness. She was so confident and comfortable that he had a hard time remembering.

Steering between the staircases, they passed through a set of doors and entered a long corridor. It had rows of decorative columns along the walls, with several diverging corridors to reach the seating on the far corners, as well as doors leading to areas where the performers would prepare. Sokka didn't lead them down any side passages, but rather straight through to the seating.

"Are we outside again?" Toph asked as they passed through yet another set of doors.

"Yeah, the theatre is open to the air, except for the stage. The wall behind the stage reflects the sound, and projects it out over the seats."

All around them were hundreds of wooden seats fixed to many tiers of stone, leading all the way up to a dozen semi-enclosed wooden viewing booths for the very wealthy. Down immediately in front of the stage was an open sandy pit where the less wealthy citizens of the city could stand and watch.

"This is amazing Sokka," Toph said, making her way down a narrow set of stairs to the lower levels, "I can even feel the stage. Why do they have the stone covered in sand down there?"

"People stand there to watch the shows, and the sand is easier on their feet than hard stone."

"Wow, I bet this place is really busy."

"Yeah, they pretty much put on a show every day. There is a big band of actors who own most of the theatre, and travelling actors perform here as well. The house actors are putting on a show tonight if the rain stops. I'm not sure what it is, but if you wa-"

"Hey! Who let you two in here! This theatre is off-limits until the show tonight. Just what do you think you are doing?"

A young woman, clearly a stage hand based on the black clothes she was wearing, looked down of them from the door with her hands on her hips. She gestured with one finger for them to come closer.

Sokka threw on his goofy smile, and Toph followed him as they walked up to the woman, who was scowling and impatiently tapping her foot.

"My friend is new in town, I was just showing her the amphitheatre," Sokka said, holding out his hands to try and placate the angry stage hand, to no avail.

"Well, you can buy a ticket, and come see it tonight with everyone else. Now leave," she said, her hazel eyes staring the young pair down.

"Alright, alright, we're going!" Toph said, grabbing Sokka's cloak and pulling him past her. With the stage hand trailing them like a shadow, they went through all three sets of doors, and quickly found themselves outside once again. With a harrumph, the stage hand slipped back inside and hurried back to work.

"They're a little touchy about people wandering around, aren't they?" Toph said while the two of them stood in the street.

"Yeah, I guess they're worried about people stealing trade secrets."

"Trade secrets?"

"Yeah, the actors do a lot of really impressive things with makeup and effects for their plays, and they keep a lot of it secret so that no one else can do things the same way. You remember how the Ember Island players had their own effects for fake bending? Well some of the acts here have some really convincing fake bending. I think they might actually have some real benders too. Sometimes it is hard to tell, especially with firebenders."

"Your city has some pretty cool stuff in it Sokka," Toph said, turning her head as though she were looking the other way, although Sokka quickly chided himself for thinking that way again. Even so, the praise was more than one would normally expect from his earthbender friend, and made him feel proud and embarrassed at the same time.

"It's Aang's city, I just helped him build it," he responded. They didn't say anything for a moment, and just as he was starting to feel awkward, Toph broke the silence.

"We should be getting back soon. It took us way longer than an hour to wander down here, and Katara is supposed to give me a waterbending lesson this afternoon."

"Oh, yeah that's right," Sokka said, smacking his forehead. He'd forgotten that Katara expected them back around noon, and though it was hard to tell through the clouds, the sun looked very high in the sky. "We should catch an ostrich-horse cart back to the Council building. We should be able to meet up with them there."

"Umm, aren't those the wooden things you said I can't see in?" Toph asked.

"Yeah, but we need to get back soon, and it is the fastest way."

"I could earthbend us back," Toph offered.

"No, that could damage the streets and the buildings. It's better if we hire a cart. It will only be for a little while, I promise," Sokka said, pleading with her. He saw a cart turn a corner and start in their direction, and began flagging it down even before Toph responded.

"Alright, fine, but you owe me for this Patches."

"Could you stop calling me that?" Sokka said, a little irritated with the new nickname. He'd thought his beard had looked manly.

"'Fraid not," Toph said smugly as the cart pulled up beside them.

"Where to?" The driver asked as Sokka opened the door and climbed inside.

"The Council building," Sokka said, handing the man three copper pieces for their fare. The driver nodded, and Sokka held his hand out to help Toph aboard. Once she took his hand, Sokka pulled her up, and they both sank heavily into the slightly padded seats of the cart.

"Uh, Sokka? What are you doing?" Toph asked, her voice sounding puzzled and slightly uncomfortable.

"What do you..." Sokka started, before realizing that he had his right arm entwined with Toph's left as they sat together, "Oh, the arm thing? Yeah, well, um, you see, I just thought, what with the not seeing and all, that maybe you would feel more, you know...comfortable with me holding your arm like this! Yeah, like on Appa..." Sokka applauded himself for his quick thinking while raging against how foolish he sounded.

"Oh," Toph said, sounding a little relieved, "You're right, I can't see, and this really does make it better. Thanks."

Sokka let out a sigh of relief, and the cart bounced them along, arm in arm.

* * *

Sokka had spent all afternoon getting his surprise ready, and now all that was left was to spring it on everyone. He had sent a messenger after Aang, and caught a ride back to Air Temple Island on one of the motorized harbour patrol ships. It took longer than a trip on Appa, but there was something about travelling by boat that just felt right to him.

'_I guess I really am Water Tribe,'_ he thought to himself as he searched for his sister and friend. After a while, he heard the racket of their training down by the beach, and made his way through the trees and underbrush towards the noise.

Just before he stepped out into view, he heard Toph shouting.

"I just can't do it, Katara! It's no use!"

"Sure you can Toph, you just need to shift your weight through the stances..."

"No, Katara. I can't just shift my stances. I can't do it!"

While Sokka watched, Toph picked up the wire cable she'd been trying to control, and flung it across the rocky clearing. Suddenly, she turned on Sokka, as though just noticing him for the first time.

"Sokka?" she said, the anger still thick in her voice, "What are you doing here?"

"I came by to see how things were going..." Sokka said cautiously, sidestepping towards his sister. If Toph decided to start throwing rocks, Katara would be his best defence.

"Well they're not. They're not going, because I can't do this. Happy now?" Toph said, throwing her hands in the air and stomping her feet, causing the rocks in the clearing to shake under Sokka's feet.

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently, getting ready to run for cover. To his relief, Toph restrained herself, although not her anger.

"Here, I'll show you," Toph spat, walking over to the cable.

"Now Toph, remember, shift your weight-" Katara said in a pleading voice.

"Yeah, yeah, just watch," Toph said, her hands snapping out in front of her, over the cable. While Sokka watched, she started to manipulate the metal wire.

Slowly, the cable began to lift off the ground, as though picked up by a half-dozen invisible hands. In fact, exactly as though being picked up by a half-dozen hands; there were six points on the cable that were rising, the rest of the cable hanging between them.

"You need to focus all along the length of the wire, Toph," Katara said gently, miming the motion with her own hands.

Toph just gritted her teeth, and continued bending. Her hands bent down at the wrists, her fingers tented and pinched together, while her elbows remained slightly bent. Rocking her shoulders, she shifted her weight to her left foot. Waving her right hand in a circle around her left, the wire bucked, the cable beginning to fold sharply at the control points. When she brought her weight ahead to her right foot and snapped her hand forward in a whipping motion, the cable creased and whipped violently about itself in a flurry of wild motion.

It was not at all the controlled whip it should have been, and Sokka knew it. Shouting a wordless cry of dismay, Toph lifted the cable with her bending, and flung it against a tree so hard that it tore into the bark.

"See? It's hopeless. I can't do it, and you all know it," she said, her shoulders slumping.

"Toph..." Katara started, before the earthbender cut her off.

"No Katara. Stop. I don't need your pity," Toph said, waving her away.

The wind rustled the leaves on the trees, and Toph stood there, panting in anger and frustration.

"I know what will take your mind off of all this," Sokka said, trying his best to sound upbeat and cheerful, "I got us tickets to tonight's play."

With that, he brought the stack of four tickets out of his sleeve, and held them up, grinning wide. Toph wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand, a cautious smile creeping onto her lips.

"Really?"

With a couple quick steps, Sokka was beside her, with an arm around her shoulder. Sokka turned her east, and gave an all-encompassing wave. "Yep, so break out your fancy clothes, tonight we will be enjoying some fine Republic City dining, and attending the United Republic Players' rendition of the Epic of Tulugaak."

Toph's smile turned into an unabashed grin.

"Sweetness."


	5. Fine Dining

Sokka tugged uncomfortably at his leggings. The Fire Nation fashions he was wearing, while stylish, were rather tight and constricting. His tribal gear was always slightly baggy; the extra air inside made for better insulation, especially in layers. But these clothes originated in the tropical Fire Nation, and were more about sleek lines than warmth.

He'd made the plans for the fancy dinner without consulting the others, but it was a relief that everyone has so enthusiastically accepted. Of course, since it had been his idea, it would be inappropriate to complain about the attire. He did have to admit that he looked dashing. The overcoat he wore was a light wool dyed coal-black with a smokey grey hem, with two long pointed coattails ending just below his knees, even though the front of the coat was flush with his waist. The silk shirt was brown, and the leggings were a deep red,. He had a belt made of iron holding it all together, a style that Zuko had sworn up and down was a staple of the Fire Nation's merchant class. Sokka had just been happy that it was so cheap. He made a good wage working for the new United Republic, but it wasn't good enough to afford gold belts, no matter how much Suki pouted about it.

If it weren't for his dark skin and wolf-tail, he could have passed for a Fire Nation merchant that night. It always struck Sokka as odd that he had any Fire Nation clothing after the war, let alone clothes this nice. But he'd done a lot of growing up since they had found Aang. He'd seen the best the Fire Nation had to offer, as well as the worst.

He was still tugging when Aang knocked on the door.

"Come on in," Sokka said, reaching for the boots at the back of his wardrobe. They were soft brown leather that matched his shirt, with more iron buckles. When he turned around, Aang was standing there in his own formal clothes. They were similar to his regular Air Nomad clothes, only with even more layers of fabric, alternating between yellow and orange. When the wind caught him just right, they'd all flutter dramatically, and Sokka noticed that the wind always seemed to catch him just right.

"Ready to go, Sokka?" Aang said, grinning eagerly.

"Yeah, just let me put on my boots. How do I look?"

"Great, how about me?" Aang struck a pose, and a rogue gust of wind came out of nowhere to set his clothes in motion.

"Yeah, like a hero from a fairy tale," Sokka said flatly, rolling his eyes at the showmanship, "Do you think I should take my sword?" he asked, tossing the weapon from one hand to another.

"Well, it does match the belt," Aang offered helpfully. Sokka nodded, and slung the strap over his shoulder and cinched it tight. This sword did match his clothes. It was not as fine as his space sword had been, but he'd needed a replacement after the war, and couldn't afford to hunt down more meteors. He'd made it with Piandao though, so it bore the same simple elegance, albeit with a more humble appearance.

"Alright, let's go," he said, turning to the young monk.

Aang nodded, "I told Katara we'd meet them down by Appa's barn."

Together the two young men walked down to the sky bison pen near the shore. As they walked, they traded jokes, mostly at each others' expense. The company took Sokka's mind off of the silks clinging to his legs.

Appa was outside when they got there, his saddle already in place. Sokka guessed that Aang had gotten him ready before getting himself ready, which was something Sokka had overlooked. He was glad his friend had thought ahead, he didn't like the idea of working up a sweat in his already uncomfortable silks. Momo was also waiting there, flitting about as usual, only now he was wearing a small green and beige shirt and hat.

"You dressed up Momo?" Sokka said to Aang, unimpressed.

"Well, you said we were going to a fancy restaurant. None of the rest of us are going to eat naked," Aang said, smiling innocently. Sokka sighed, and held his hand out. The lemur landed on it, and quickly skittered up to his shoulder, leaning against the hilt of his sword while chirping contentedly.

"Alright, since he's dressed for the occasion, I guess Momo can come. But the restaurant isn't set up to serve sky bison, so don't even think about it!" Sokka sighed inwardly even as he said it. The restaurant was no place for curious lemurs, and sometimes Aang's childish decisions got on his nerves, even if he was the Avatar and a good friend.

Appa let out a discontented grunt, and Aang patted his nose in apology.

Sokka looked back towards the temple, and noticed two figures coming their way. In the light of the setting sun, he saw that they were Katara and Toph.

Katara was also wearing something in the style of the Air Nomads, or so she and Aang claimed. Sokka had a hard time imagining that the Air Nomad nuns would have worn any such thing. The top piece of the dress was little more than a yellow and orange cloth that wrapped around only her left shoulder, covering his sister just enough to be decent in public. Her right arm though was bare all the way to her chest and the back of the top ran under her right shoulder-blade. The bottom half of the dress was even worse, riding low on her hips, and dropping as low as her knee on the right side, but barely halfway down her thigh on the left. When Sokka had first seen the dress, he had expressly forbidden her from wearing it, which had resulted in his clothes being frozen while she flew off on Appa. He still often voiced his displeasure, but he didn't forbid anything anymore.

Right now though, Sokka wasn't thinking too much about his sister. His attention was fully fixed on his blind friend.

Toph's dress was a sea-foam green, with a large forest green sash tied around her waist. While it was obviously a formal dress, the earthbender wore it in a distinctly casual fashion. Instead of being crisp lines and smooth folds, the dress was loose-fitting, with a neckline revealing the white of her undershirt. Even though it wasn't being worn properly, it also wasn't worn haphazardly either. Even her hair fell in unruly, yet carefully arranged, curls down her shoulders, with a white jasmine flower set above her left ear. She had an umbrella folded and tucked under her arm. Noticing the boys up ahead, she elbowed Katara in the side and whispered something in her ear. Katara blushed furiously, and glared at her friend, her mischievous smile notwithstanding.

"Well, you two look nice," Aang said, sliding up beside Sokka.

"Wha,,,? Oh yeah, you guys do look nice," Sokka managed, jogged out of his thoughts by his airbender friend. However, once he tore his eyes away from Toph and noticed what Katara had chosen to wear, he frowned and went on, "Although I think you forgot to get dressed, Katara."

"Oh Sokka, leave it alone," Katara said, rolling her eyes. Walking past him without another look, she took Aang's hand. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Aang slid an arm around her waist, her conspicuously bare waist Sokka thought bitterly, and with a gentle hop carried both of them up onto Appa's back. Sokka reached up and pulled himself onto the saddle, and helped lift Toph on board as well. He sank heavily against the edge of the saddle, and Toph gently sat beside him, her arm laced with his..

"Still getting used to flying?" Sokka asked.

"Flying? Oh yeah, flying. Yeah, still getting used to it," Toph said, surprised at the question. She tightened her grip on the umbrella she'd brought, and Sokka felt the muscles in her arm contracting, even through the fabric of the dress.

"Appa, yip yip!" Aang said, and the bison rose gently into the sky, leaving the setting sun behind them as they flew towards the city.

"All those lights in the city, they really look like stars, don't they?" Katara said breathlessly as the gentle breeze tossed her hair.

"Look just like them to me," Toph said, sounding genuinely earnest.

"Just beautiful," Katara continued, apparently unaware of the blind earthbender's wit. Sokka grinned at the joke, and playfully nudged Toph to show his appreciation. Smiling, she nudged him back, and together they shared a muffled laugh.

"What's so funny?" Katara said all of a sudden, the laughs clearly not muffled enough.

"Oh, uh, Momo's hat," Toph said quickly, pointing.

"Oh, alright," Katara said nodding, although she hadn't noticed that Toph was pointing nowhere near the lemur. Katara shuffled closer to Aang, and the other two shared another round of nudges and another muffled laugh. This time, Katara hadn't heard them, and they flew on quietly.

"So what are we doing with Appa?" Toph asked after a while, just as the bison was carrying them over the waterfront docks and wharves of the city.

"I hired a couple of kids to feed him and keep an eye on him in one of the parks near the restaurant," Sokka told her, "We'll actually be landing there soon."

"Hope they've got the kind of oats you like, buddy," Aang said, giving Appa's head a pat. The beast groaned out a reply, and started to descend into the park below. Appa landed gently on his six feet, the soft soil cushioning the landing even further. Two young women, probably no older than thirteen, ran over to them just as they were disembarking.

"Hi, we're Lin," started one girl.

"And Ming," continued the second.

"We'll be happy to," started Lin.

"Take good care of Appa," finished Ming.

The twin girls smiled wide, and pointed towards the large wheelbarrow full of oats, and the heavy twin brushes that could only be to brush out his fur.

"Uh...thanks?" Aang said, shrugging to Katara, not sure what to make of the twins.

Momo circled lazily around them, and Sokka decided to try to convince Aang to leave the lemur behind once more.

"Hey Aang, why don't we leave Momo with Lin and Ming? He'll be really out-of-place at the restaurant."

"What? Aang, Momo can't come eat, it's a fancy place. Besides, he'll just be a distraction during the play," Katara said, supporting her brother. With a resigned sigh, Aang nodded, and told the flying lemur to stay. Chattering sadly, Momo flew up and landed on Appa's head, paws wrapped tightly around his horn.

In unison the twins called out;

"Have a good time tonight!"

Waving energetically, they watched as the foursome walked down the path to the dimly lit street at the edge of the park.

The series of lanterns that hung on posts cast a flickering orange light on the streets. Even though the sun had crept down to no more than a red glow in the west, the streets were as busy as ever, filled with people going out and about for entertainment. One street corner performer was putting on a puppet show for a crowd of children.

"There are a lot of people out tonight," Toph said, sticking close to Sokka while he led the group towards the restaurant.

"There are a lot of people out every night," Sokka replied, "There is always something going on somewhere, well past sunset."

They made a couple of turns down different streets, but there was always the same loose crowd of people milling about. A few private ostrich-horse carts rattled slowly past, bright red lanterns held out ahead of them to warn pedestrians of their presence. Before long though, they were at the restaurant. An empty open air dining area dominated the front of the restaurant. The cool, damp weather kept the diners inside though.

"Here we are, The Imperial," Sokka said, sliding open the exterior wooden door.

Immediately inside was a cozy waiting area. Along the walls were soft sofas for any waiting diners, while a sharply dressed host stood behind a wooden podium.

"Ah, Avatar Aang, you and your friends are welcome here at the Imperial," the host said, beaming while he quickly scrawled a note on the ledger set on top of podium, "Your table is ready, if you would all just follow me, please."

"Thank you," Aang said, and the group followed the waiter past a silk screen door. The inside of the restaurant was more like a series of hallways than of an open area. Sokka spotted a couple of waiters moving about with platters of food, but all the dining areas were enclosed behind their own silk screens. He could see the shadows of a group and hear their boisterous laughter. All of a sudden, he felt Toph's had latch onto his arm, just above the elbow

"Toph?"

"You just had to pick a restaurant with a wooden floor, didn't you?" Toph muttered, her brow furrowed angrily in spit of the fake smile she wore.

"Uh...sorry?" he said, silently berating himself for forgetting something that simple.

"Just take me to our table," Toph growled, and Sokka started after the rest of the group once more.

Their table turned out to be at the rear of the restaurant, behind a screen adorned with bamboo and the likeness of a lazy gopher-bear.

"Your server shall be by soon to take your orders, please let us know if you need anything," the host said, bowing to the group. Sokka heard Toph mutter 'stone floors' under her breath, but he didn't think anyone else had. Not hearing anything, the host bowed again and took his leave, closing the screen behind him.

"Here Toph, sit down," Sokka said, guiding her to a chair and taking her umbrella. Cautiously, she sat down, and started running her hands over the place setting in front of her, finding the plate, the empty teacup, and the heavy silk napkin that had been set out in preparation for them. Having found everything, she sat back, her mouth still set into a pout.

Sokka relieved himself of his sword, and set it next to Toph's umbrella in an ornately carved wooden stand meant for such things, and took his place between her and his sister, across from Aang. Katara was commenting on the screen to Aang when the waiter arrived, bringing with him a pot of tea. Without asking, he began pouring the tea for everyone at the table.

"What can I get you folks tonight?" he asked cheerfully.

* * *

Their meal passed merrily enough. After the first cup of tea Toph had cheered up, and by the time the food arrived was as happy and sarcastic as always. After the dinner plates were taken away and they were finishing their last cup of a tea, Toph asked about the play they were going to.

"So, what kind of play is this?"

"What do you mean?" Katara asked.

"You know, like is it a comedy, or what?" Toph continued, taking another sip of tea.

"Tragedy," Sokka said immediately, and Katara nodded solemnly.

"Oh," Toph said before taking one last sip and setting the cup down, "Well, I guess that's good too."

"It's a beautiful story," Katara said whimsically, "You'll both love it. It was our favourite when we were kids, right Sokka?"

"Yeah, our dad would tell it to us before bed," Sokka said, staring at his empty teacup, "Although I don't think I ever really appreciated it..."

Before anyone could continue, the screen slid back, and the host popped his head in.

"Avatar Aang, your cart is here to escort your guests to the amphitheatre, whenever you are ready."

"Thank you, but can we use your bathroom first?" the airbender asked, getting to his feet.

"But of course, sir, they are just this way," the host stepped back into the hall beckoning them to follow. Sokka got to his feet, and Toph's fingers clamped down on his wrist yet again.

"Uh, Toph?" Sokka said, even as she pulled herself out of her chair.

"What?" she said, annoyed.

"You should probably go with Katara," he said, even as Katara took Toph's other arm.

"Oh, right," she said, staring blindly at her feet while Katara led her off. Sokka retrieved his sword and her umbrella, and hurried after the rest of the group.

Once they had all finished in the bathrooms, which were exquisitely maintained, their host led them back to the street.

"Great, yet another place where I can't see," Toph moaned as she climbed into the cart after the extremely brief contact with the ground outside.

"Don't worry Toph," Aang said, optimistic as ever, "We'll be there soon."

"Great..." Toph said, rolling her eyes as she sat across from Katara and Aang. Sokka slid into the seat beside her, and she quickly grabbed hold of his arm again, just before the cart started to roll.

True to Aang's word, the cart arrived less than ten minutes later. Toph's sigh was full of relief and pleasure as her bare foot made contact with the cool stone.

"You know, I'm starting to not like this city. Too many places without earth."

"Well, you'll have plenty of earth tonight," Katara said, gracefully jumping down beside her friend.

"There are so many people here tonight, will we get seats?" Aang said worriedly.

"No problem," Sokka said, "Our seats are reserved for us. We're right in the front row, it will be a great view for everyone."

Sticking close to one another, they made their way through the throngs. Many of the crowd dressed much like themselves, in fine clothes for the occasion. Many more were in simple, sturdy clothing; workers who could afford the show, but not the pomp.

The usher he had bribed that morning was checking tickets at the door. When Sokka handed him their tickets, he smiled and winked at the tribesman.

"I see we didn't disappoint this morning. Always a treat to have such a pretty lady in attendance," the young man said, and Toph blushed furiously. With her hair tied back, she had no way to conceal it, and compensated by hurrying off without a word. Sokka followed close at her heels.

"Turning heads already," Sokka teased. Toph's blush didn't fade, but she did scowl and punch him hard in the arm. Sokka winced and rubbed it gingerly. That was a lot harder than usual, so he decided to drop the topic.

"Let's go get our seats," Katara said, leading Aang by the hand towards the big open doors that led to the seating. Sokka and Toph dutifully followed, trying hard not to lose them in the crowd. There were people everywhere, funneled down to the same doorway. With many and bump and jostle, they made it to their seats at last.

"Ah, finally," Toph said, stretching out in her seat, sliding her feet along the stone in front of them. Sitting in the front row of seats, there was a wide gap between them and a low stone wall that separated them from the standing pit, "So when does this thing start?"

"When the lights go out," Sokka said, "Don't worry, I'll tell you."

Slowly, the crowd shuffled by and found their seats. The amphitheatre was filled with the dull buzz of a hundred conversations, but before long the dozens of lanterns began to go out as the shadowy stagehands swept down the stairs extinguishing them.

"Alright Toph, it's about to start," Sokka whispered as the crowd grew hushed and darkness settled over them. Aang slipped an arm around Katara's shoulder, and the two nestled close to each other to watch.

When all the lights were out, a single slow drum beat boomed, and the play began.


	6. The Epic of Tulugaak

In the darkness of the theatre, a sudden blue haze began to glow from the stage. A thick fog drifted from the wings, blue screened lanterns illuminating it from above. The drum beat continued, a set of three beats followed by one beat of quiet.

Boom, boom, boom.

Through the fog, two children walked into view, and the drum suddenly stopped. Sokka knew them well.

"Tulugaak, please wait!" the little girl called, fitfully tugging on the older boy's sleeve, "I'm scared, don't go! What if the Qallupillut comes?"

"Corazon, don't be such a coward! The child-snatcher is just a story. I'm just going out to fish, go back to the village if you are so scared," the boy announced boldly, pulling his hand free. Without another word, the boy Tulugaak stomped into the fog, disappearing and leaving the girl standing alone.

Boom, boom, boom.

"Who's there?" Corazon shouted, spinning in place.

Boom, boom, boom; faster now.

"You're scaring me, who's there?"

Boom, boom, boom!

"Tulugaak, help me!" she screamed.

Boom, boom, boom!

On the last beat, the stage exploded behind her. Corazon's screech echoed over all the seats, mingling with the gasps of surprise. Standing there was an impossibly long, thin creature with knotted seaweed hair, and a nose-less face with sunken black eyes. Corazon screamed again as sinewy claws wrapped around her shoulders, and together they sunk back below the icy field of the stage.

"Tulugaak!" her cry echoed, fading fast under the ice.

The stage grew silent then, a drifting blue haze.

"What happened?" Toph whispered to her friend.

"Corazon was captured by the Qallupillut. It's an evil spirit, and the stories say that it steals children who play alone on the ice," he whispered back, just as Tulugaak wandered back on stage, carrying a large fish.

"Corazon, I caught a fish! Corazon? Where are you?"

The light began to fade, and the fog grow stronger. When the stage was black again, the boyish whimper was barely audible.

"Corazon?"

When the white lanterns finally lit up again, the boy Tulugaak was cowering on the edge of the stage while a crowd of older men shouted at each other.

"They took, her!" one shouted.

"See? We found their flag on the edge of the ice!" another shouted, waving a tattered flag bearing the Fire Nation emblem.

"It was the Qallupillut!" Tulugaak said, sobbing.

"Nonsense boy, the Qallupillut is just a story. It was those Fire Nation merchants who came by two days ago! They must have stolen little Corazon!" shouted the first man.

"Go speak with the Chief, and we'll go show those Fire Nation savages what for!" the second man said, to a chorus of cheers. All but one man walked off the stage, shouting for vengeance. As they left, their voices faded and eventually a silence fell over the stage.

"How old is this story?" Toph whispered.

"Over a thousand years old," Sokka whispered back, "Long before Sozin started his war."

The two friends quieted when the man on stage spoke.

"Son, I know you are afraid for your sister," the man said, sadly.

"Dad, it was the Qallupillut, I know it!"

"Did you see this spirit?"

"No...but it had to be!"

"Son, the Qallupillut isn't real. Your sister is gone. Did you see any ships while you were out on the water?"

"No, it was the Qallupillut!"

"Tulugaak, enough!" his father barked, "Your sister was not taken by make-believe monsters! She is gone because you didn't watch her! You are her brother, it was your job to watch her, and now she is on a ship to be sold in the Fire Nation! Now, go home, and I'll speak with you after I meet with the chief."

Once again, the lights faded, and when they came back, the stage was a field of jagged ice spires, and young Tulugaak was wandering through them, calling for his sister.

"Corazon! Corazon, I'm sorry, please come back!"

"It's all your fault," a sinister voice said, as the Qallupillut creature moved through the ice, stalking him, "You left her, and now she belongs to me."

"I didn't mean to, I'm sorry!"

"You left her, and now she belongs to me," the voice hissed again, drawing ever closer to the boy.

"Please, let me see her again," Tulugaak sobbed.

"She belongs to me, and soon, so will you!" the creature cried, springing out from behind one of the icy pillars and snatching the boy, it's long webbed fingers wrapping around his face. Tulugaak screamed, and without warning the stage burst into a brilliant, blinding white light. The crowd gasped, and some screamed, and Sokka was forced to look away, blinking furiously.

"What? What happened?" Toph whispered.

"There is some really bright light on stage," Sokka whispered back, but it was quickly fading. Before he had managed to blink away the afterglow, the stage was arranged like a Southern Water Tribe hut, with Tulugaak waking violently from a nightmare.

"Corazon, I'm sorry," he sobbed, "I'll never fail anyone like that again," and the lights faded again.

"These effects are amazing," Aang whispered, but Katara hushed him harshly. Out of the corner of his eye, Sokka saw Aang's pout and had to hold back his chuckle.

In the darkness, an upbeat tune began playing from a handful of pipes, and as the stage faded back into view, it was the scene of a wedding.

A crowd of a dozen people stood watching a dashing young man – clearly from the Fire Nation, although dressed the part of a Water Tribesman – stood to the left of an elderly gentleman dressed in a shaman's outfit, while his bride – actually from one of the Water Tribes – stood on the right. The two stared at each other, looks on longing on their face while the old man intoned.

"By the power of La, the ocean, the guardian, I ask you; Tulugaak, do you take Umiak to be your wife? Will you cherish her, and protect her; provide for her, and bless your union with the strength of your works?" the old man asked, clutching the actor Tulugaak's arm. It was an old ceremony, even the few that Sokka had seen in his youth had been much less formal than this antiquated pageantry.

"I will," Tulugaak answered, and the old man nodded, turning to the bride.

"By the grace of Tui, the moon, the giver of life, I ask you; Umiak, do you take Tulugaak to be your husband? Will you cherish him, and serve him; to comfort him, and bless your union with the strength of your heart?" here he clutched the actor Umiak by the arm as well.

"I will," Umiak said, her voice quavering even as she said it.

"Then in the sight of spirits and men, I unite you both together in matrimony!" The shaman said at last. A cheer rose from the assembled actors as the couple stole a kiss, the cheer being taken up by some of the audience as well.

Presently, after words of congratulations, the wedding guests departed, leaving the couple alone at centre stage.

"I can't believe it, we're finally married!" Umiak said, stepping closer to Tulugaak.

"Yes, it has been so long in the planning, I could scarcely wait another moment!" Tulugaak responded, sounding a little too theatrical for Sokka's tastes, "I only wish that we could have more time together before I must go."

"Why Tulugaak, why must you go?"

"You know why," Tulugaak began, and for the sake of the audience continued, "The clans of the Southern Water Tribe are meeting for the first time in living memory to make a plan against this dastardly Fire Nation aggression in our waters! We will stand against them!"

"But why can't you stay just a little while longer? We've only just been wed."

"I cannot stay away from the summit! I must defend my people!"

"Wow, this guy is worse that Ozai from Ember Island," Toph muttered, grinning from ear to ear. Sokka had to agree with that, but kept quiet. He wasn't enjoying the exaggerated acting as much as his friend. This was nothing like how he had pictured Tulugaak all these years.

"I will miss you every day I'm gone, and when I return, we will be together, I promise," Tulugaak said, taking his wife by the hand, "But I leave tomorrow morning; we still have tonight."

With that, the lights dimmed once more, to the sound of delighted giggles from Umiak.

The play continued on much the same way, with Tulugaak convincing the clan leaders to work together to attack the Fire Nation ships in the Tribe's territory, all while laying down the melodrama thickly on every word. Sokka's eyes were aching from how much rolling they'd done. He could barely wait for the intermission.

"Tulugaak, I wish you could stay with me," Umiak was saying, "But I know that you will keep us safe out there at sea. I only ask that you keep yourself safe."

"Fear not, my love," Tulugaak said boldly, "Not a firebender has yet been born who could hope to slay me!"

Sokka couldn't help it, the groan was already passing his lips. Toph chuckled under her breath and nudged him with an elbow. Sokka looked around, and thankfully saw no one glaring at him, although that did little to stop his face from reddening.

"We shall be back before summer's end, and then, we will be together, I promise!" Tulugaak said, before vaulting onto the mock-up ship that sat waiting. As the ship started to slide off stage, Umiak ran along side it, reaching for Tulugaak. He took her hand, but slowly their fingers slipped apart, and the lights went out.

"We will now have a brief intermission," a disembodied voice boomed from the darkness, "Please wait in your seat as we turn on the house lights."

Toph leaned back in her seat, stretching her arms up over her head. "Well Patches, this was your favorite story?"

"Ergh, it was better when my father told it. I don't know who wrote this trash, but they couldn't have made Tulugaak sound any more arrogant if they tried!" Sokka sat there seething, "You know what I'm talking about, right Katara?"

When Sokka turned, expecting some vindication from his sister, he instead found her and Aang otherwise occupied.

Leaning over, Sokka managed to get within an inch of Aang's ear while the young couple were distracted by their kiss. In a low, whispering voice, Sokka spoke a single word.

"Oogies."

Aang jumped in his seat, surprised by the sudden voice in his ear, and Katara retreated with a yelp.

"Ow, my tongue!" She lisped, glaring first at Aang, then at Sokka, then at Toph who was laughing uproariously, and then back at Sokka. The look in her eyes was enough to melt ice, which was quite literally true of the angry waterbender, or would have been had there been any ice around.

"Sorry, sorry," Aang pleaded, before rounding on Sokka with a glare of his own, "What was that for?"

"It's intermission, and I needed to do something to cheer me up after the first half of this play," Sokka said, holding his hands out in front of him, "I'm going to go get some fire flakes, anyone want anything?"

"No." Aang and Katara said in angry unison.

"I'll go with you," Toph said, still snickering, "I could stand to stretch my legs."

By this time, over half the lanterns were lit again, and several people were already making their way to the lobby.

"Right this way, m'lady," Sokka said, doing his best to sound as melodramatic as the actor Tulugaak, although he felt he came up short.

"Certainly, kind sir," Toph said in return, and together they made for the lobby.

* * *

"What's eating you, anyway?" Toph asked, tossing one of the fire flakes casually into her mouth. She made a face, and started to flush slightly, but didn't comment on the burn the little treats left behind.

Sokka shovelled a handful into his own mouth, chewing them over before he answered her. "It's just that this isn't the way I pictured him. I guess I always pictured him as a guy like my dad, and this actor is...well he's more like Jet."

"That guy from Ba Sing Se?"

"Yeah, him. All arrogant and swaggering. It's just not the right character," Sokka said, chewing on another handful of the fire flakes.

"Oh well, you just need to lighten up. He's definitely good for a laugh," Toph said.

"That's just it, Tulugaak shouldn't be making me laugh..." Sokka said bitterly. When they walked back outside, the stagehands were already extinguishing some of the lamps at the rear of the theatre. "We'd better hurry, it's about to start again."

Together they found their seats again, and Sokka chose to ignore Aang and Katara this time. If he pushed his luck too much farther, he'd be swimming home.

After all the lights were extinguished in the audience, the stage lights came on. Tulugaak was starting at the bow of a ship as it rocked up and down over a set of waves. As far as Sokka could tell, the waves were real. He'd had his suspicions, but now he knew they had at least one waterbender working the show backstage.

"Tulugaak," said one of the sailors, "We've been searching for two weeks, and we haven't seen any Fire Nation ships, we will need to turn back for supplies soon."

Tulugaak stared off into the distance through a spyglass before excitedly turning to the other man, "No time for that! That is a Fire Nation ship, dead ahead! Men, ready yourselves for battle!"

The deck of the stage ship broke out into madness as actors readied their weapons for the coming fight.

"This stinks, they're all on a wooden prop," Toph muttered, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry, I'll explain what's going on," Sokka whispered back. He leaned in close to her ear, so that he didn't have to speak so loud, and began to narrate the action on the stage.

"Tulugaak's ship is in pursuit. He has six other men with him, and they've all got spears of clubs. One even has a boomerang," he ignored Toph's derisive snort and continued, "Wait, there is another ship coming on stage. It's the Fire Nation ship..."

The second stage ship rolled into place just slightly ahead of Tulugaak's, and the Water Tribe warriors let out a battle cry and sprang across the narrow gap, and the fight broke out. It was a confusing jumble of a dozen actors pairing off and fighting each other. To Sokka's dismay, the boomerang wielding soldier didn't throw it, but he decided to focus on Tulugaak for his narration.

"Tulugaak has a spear, and so does the Fire Nation captain. Tulugaak is blocking the other guy's attacks, and has been pushed to the edge of the ship. Wait, he's about to fall over..."

The actor Tulugaak leaned back dangerously far, but the Fire Nation captain tried to stab him one more time. Tulugaak grabbed the other man's spear and hauled himself upright once more, while throwing the other man overboard. Meanwhile, his soldiers each subdued their own opponents.

"Victory!" Tulugaak and his men cheered, before the lights dimmed to change the scene again.

Umiak was sitting under a spotlight when she opened a sealed scroll.

"A letter! From Tulugaak!" she exclaimed, and then began to read it. "My dearest Umiak, we have taken control of the small Fire Nation trading outpost on Whale-tail island. They claim no responsibility for the missing Water Tribe children over the years, although they are obviously lying. Who else would have taken them, the Air Nomads? No matter.

"I have some grave news as well. Chief Tonraq, my father, was killed in the taking of the outpost, and leadership of our fleet falls upon my shoulders. I pray that the spirits grant me strength, but we will not get the answers we need from small outposts. We will sail to the Fire Nation itself, and we will make them sorry for the crimes they have committed. I love you, and I promise, though I will be away until winter, I will return by the solstice and we will be together then. I've sent word to the other clans, and we will be gathering here, and shall set sail in three week's time. Your love, Tulugaak"

As she had read, the actor Umiak's voice grew heavier and heavier with sorrow. Finally, casting aside the letter, she stood and began throwing on her fur lined coat.

"If he thinks I will wait until the winter solstice to see him, he is gravely mistaken! I will see him at Whale-tail island."

With that, the lights faded and cut back to Tulugaak aboard his ship.

"Sir," a sailor said, earning a scowl from Tulugaak.

"What is it? We sail in three days, I'm busy."

"A letter from your wife arrived," he said, handing Tulugaak a rolled up scroll.

"Oh, my love! I wonder what she has to say?" Tulugaak said in such a swoon that Sokka almost gagged.

"My dear Tulugaak, I cannot wait until the solstice. I will meet you on Whale-tail island. Expect me two days after this letter arrives. Yours always, Umiak."

Tulugaak threw the paper aside, and stomped past the waiting sailor.

"Coming here! Does she not realize that we are in a war? It isn't safe! Oh, but I cannot wait to see her face once more..."

However, the next scene was not their tearful reunion, as Sokka had known it wouldn't be. It was set on a shipwreck, with only a single survivor telling Tulugaak about encountering a Fire Navy ship and being taken up in a squall and dashed on the rocks.

"The Fire Nation will pay for this atrocity!" Tulugaak raged, "The death of my wife will not go unpunished!"

And so the play continued, three more scenes of Tulugaak attacking Fire Nation ships, drawing ever closer to the Fire Nation, and every fight becoming more wild and ruthless. As much as Sokka had disagreed with the beginning of the play, the wild rage was done well.

Finally, the climactic scene arrived; Tulugaak facing the Admiral on the steps of his own home in the Fire Nation.

"Admiral, I have come to exact my vengeance!" Tulugaak bellowed, swinging his club violently overhead.

"Vengeance? For what? You and your savages have invaded my home, and lain waste to my men, for no reason! I shall put an end to you now, like a rabid dog!"

"You stole my sister, and the other children from the South Pole, and you killed my bride, and for that you will pay!"

"I did no such thing!" the Admiral shouted, anger flaring as he took a firebending stance, one fist extended with the other by his cheek, "But you are beyond the voice of reason. This ends now!"

Tulugaak ran for the Admiral. The Admiral turned his face away from the audience, and when he turned back, threw his punch. The first that was extended flew back to his cheek while the other extended, and a sudden gout of flame erupted from his mouth. Sokka gasped along with the rest of the crowd.

"What? What happened?" Toph said.

"The Admiral just breathed fire," Sokka whispered back.

"So? He's a firebender," Toph said, unimpressed.

"It was just kind of surprising, okay" Sokka mumbled, turning his attention back to the fight.

Tulugaak swung his club, and the Admiral rolled away. He made a quick jab, and Sokka tought he saw a flash between the Admiral's fingers, and suddenly a ball of flame burst out of the ground at Tulugaak's feet. Roaring like a polar bear-dog, Tulugaak sprang through the fire, and swung low with his club. The Admiral jumped over the attack, but Tulugaak's shoulder ploughed into him and sent him sprawling across the stage.

Before the Admiral could get to his feet, Tulugaak was standing over him, club raised to finish the job.

"Stop!" cried a woman's voice, and all eyes turned to the far side of the stage.

The actor Umiak stood there, dressed in Fire Nation clothes, weeping, "Leave my husband alone, you savage!"

"Umiak?" Tulugaak said, confused.

"On Ji, go back inside!" the Admiral shouted, "It isn't safe!"

"What did you call my wife?" Tulugaak growled.

"She's not your wife, she's my wife!" the Admiral shouted back.

"Please, don't hurt him," Umiak cried, throwing herself over the Admiral, "He found me when I was lost at sea. He took me in when I didn't even know who I was, and I love him. I can't just watch some wild animal kill him." She shot a cold glare at Tulugaak, "Why are you even here? Why are you doing this? You've hurt so many people, you monster!"

Sokka was starting to tear up, filling in the rest of the story in his mind, but things took a turn from what he expected.

"Umiak, my love, I thought you were lost to me!" Tulugaak said, lifting the woman to her feet. "We were married, don't you remember?"

"I remember nothing! Unhand me!"

"Then maybe you'll remember this!" Tulugaak said, suddenly kissing her. When they parted, she blinked and looked at him again.

"Tulugaak?"

"Yes, I was so lost without you, Umiak, I didn't know what to do. I was so angry..."

"Tulugaak, it's okay. I couldn't remember who I was, but I do now. Let's go home, please?"

"Of course, my love, and I promise, we will never be apart again."

With that, the lights faded, and the stage hands started lighting up the lanterns to guide the patrons to the exit.

"What was that!" Sokka exploded, causing everyone in the immediate area to shoot him an odd look, "That was absolute trash! How could anyone even stand to _write_ that!"

"Sokka, it wasn't...that bad..." Katara said, although she didn't look too sure of herself.

"Not that bad? That was the worst thing I have ever seen, and we've seen some pretty terrible things," Sokka spat, and angrily shot out of his seat, "Let's just go home."

Sokka didn't say another word all the way back to the park. The cart ride was awkwardly quiet, with him still fuming, Aang and Katara shooting each other concerned looks, and Toph sitting silently with one hand on Sokka's arm.

It wasn't until Appa was in the air that Toph ventured to talk with him. While Aang and Katara sat up near Appa's head, Sokka pouted at the very back of the saddle with Toph by his side.

"So...I guess that play wasn't what you were expecting," she said cautiously.

"They completely ruined the ending," he said quietly, staring at the crescent moon in the distance.

"I didn't think it was a good ending either," Toph said, her voice sounding hoarse and a little strained. She coughed, and then continued, "Maybe...maybe you can tell it to me the right way some day."

Sokka was a little shocked at the words, and very shocked when his friend leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. This wasn't the Toph he remembered from years ago; the Toph who would have been more likely to punch him in the arm and order him to cheer up than to actually make him feel better.

But she had certainly made him feel better.

"Yeah, some day. I'd like that," Sokka said, leaning his own head against hers. He could smell the jasmine blossom in her hair, and his head started swimming. All of a sudden though, he pulled himself away, gently shrugging Toph's head off his shoulder. The tears that sprang to his own eyes made it impossible to see the sadness on his friend's face.

All that Sokka could see through the tears was the sliver of silver light that ruled the sky.

"Some day..." he whispered.

* * *

Author's Note:

Sorry to anyone who was following and expecting this. Between moving, school starting, and this play being a horrible thing to try and write, I got delayed. I'll be doing my best, now that the play is over, to get back to weekly updates.


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